GASTON COUNTY, N.C. — School district leaders in Gaston County are investigating after officials confirmed a Bessemer City student was mistakenly dropped off at the wrong stop Tuesday afternoon.
Candace Acuff reached out to WCNC Charlotte on Wednesday, saying her 6-year-old daughter Raelynn was supposed to be brought to a stop near their home from Bessemer City Primary School the day before. But instead, she was dropped off about seven miles away in Gastonia, not at all near home, and scared after just starting school this year.
"She's traumatized," Acuff told reporter Myles Harris. "I was so out of it."
Acuff said she got a phone call from a stranger who found her daughter on the side of the road at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday. The man who called was able to use information in a tag attached to Raelynn's book bag. Still, Acuff was in shock.
"I was at the end of the driveway just hollering, and all the neighbors came out to see what was going on," she said.
Sherry Revis is Raelynn's grandmother and echoed Acuff's sentiments. She also said Raelynn even tried to tell the bus driver something was wrong.
"There was no adult, no other kid getting off at this stop, and Raelynn told them that was not her stop," Revis said, adding that the man who called them, "said he was terrified someone was going to get that little girl".
Revis also said Gaston County Schools needs to ensure Raelynn is brought right back home in the future.
"They need to put her on a van where she can be brought home to the house and dropped back off to the house," she said. "They need to figure out another measure where another little kid isn't dropped off."
WCNC Charlotte received a statement from Gaston County Schools just before 6 p.m. about the incident:
We are aware of the incident involving a student who was dropped off at the wrong bus stop Tuesday afternoon, and we are working to determine why it happened. The bus driver has been suspended from driving a bus as we conduct an investigation – this is our standard process.
We appreciate the good Samaritans who noticed the student along the roadside and called the police and a phone number on a tag that was attached to the student’s book bag. We are grateful for their willingness to step in and help.
We sincerely regret that the incident happened, and we understand that the school is working to ensure that pickup and dropoff locations are accurate.
Raelynn's family also said they were in contact with the Gastonia Police Department, which is also investigating.
Contact Myles Harris at mharris5@wcnc.com and follow him on Facebook, X and Instagram.